I was just telling my son that tomorrow is the last day of 2016. Time flies! So much has happened and changed this year. These 12 days after Christmas I'm participating in a writing activity. See below.

Children's author Julie Hedlund, challenged participants of her 12 Days of Christmas for Writers series to post SUCCESSES (rather than resolutions) on our blogs this year. She believes the way New Year's resolutions are traditionally made come from a place of negativity - what DIDN'T get done or achieved in the previous year. Instead, she suggests we set goals for the New Year that BUILD on our achievements from the previous one. I decided to participate in this Anti-Resolution Revolution! Here is my list for 2016.

Please note that all this is accomplished because God gave me strength! Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Not in any particular order:

1. Revised 9 picture book stories2. Wrote 3 new picture book stories3. My novel manuscript, Chasing Freedom:The Asian Underground Railroad won 1st Runner Up (2nd place) in the Scholastic Asian Book Award.4. Attended my first writing conference in Singapore at the Asian Festival of Children's Content where I accepted the award in #3.5. Met Leonard Marcus, pb historian and judge at the AFCC, met authors Emily Lim, Cynthea Liu, and Cynthia Leitich Smith whom I had known of online in kidlit circles6. 2 stories accepted by Clubhouse Jr. magazine7. Wrote a new teacher unit for my little store in Teachers Pay Teachers8. wrote several book reviews for a Korean Christian children's magazine9. Proofread a Korean/English textbook for publishers Tuttle and Pagoda Books10. Wrote many blog posts for the Grog Blog11. Commissioned to write educational material for Oxford University Press Asia (will start Feb. 2017)12. Acquired a literary agent!! (more to come on this in another post)

I know Christmas is over, but I love the lyrics in this song ​Noel by Lauren Daigle. (the chorus) The chorus sums up how I feel about this year."Noel, noel. Come and see what God has done." And all this was done while I taught kindergarten in a new school & city.

I love picture books, especially Christmas ones! My friend, Evelyn Christensen and her debut picture book, The Twelves Days of Christmas in Kentucky are at the grog blog today. Join me to see how Ev landed this contract.